Pathologist
Study disease to help diagnose, treat and prevent illness. You'll specialise in an area, such as blood, cells, body chemistry or infection.
About the job
A day in the life – Pathologist
What it's like
Are you interested in science and how the body works? Do you want to make a difference and help fight disease? Being a pathologist lets you use your expertise to understand disease and help people live healthy lives.
Pathology is the study of disease. It's about investigating illness and understanding what causes it, how it develops and how it affects the body. Pathologists use this knowledge to help diagnose, treat and prevent disease. It's a broad field with 17 specialist areas, so there's flexibility to build a career based on what interests you. Four of the most common are:
tissues and cells, studied by histopathologists
blood, studied by haematologists
the chemistry of the body, studied by chemical pathologists
infection, studied by medical microbiologists and virologists
As a pathologist, you'll be an expert in your specialism, working in a senior role. There are lots of options available to you. You could be a forensic pathologist, where you'll perform autopsies to discover how and why a person died. You'll help with police investigations and go to court to give evidence. If you want to help animals, you can become a veterinary pathologist and study animal disease.
Most pathologists work in laboratories, often in NHS or private hospitals. You'll work with doctors, clinical scientists and other healthcare professionals. Some roles involve working directly with patients, doing ward rounds and overseeing treatment.
There are also opportunities in private sector research, in public health and teaching institutions.
What you do each day will vary a lot depending on your specialism.
Your tasks might include:
examining samples, like blood, tissue and body fluids
analysing test results laboratory data
diagnosing disease
advising healthcare staff on diagnoses and treatments
researching disease to inform new tests and treatments
managing laboratory facilities and staff
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Royal College of Pathologists – explore pathology specialisms
NHS Scotland Careers: Your Med Future – a guide to studying medicine in Scotland
General Medical Council – becoming a doctor in the UK
British Medical Association – advice and support for studying medicine
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Other careers that you might like
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Healthcare
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- problem solving
- observation
- researching
- social conscience
- supporting
- written communication
- analysing
- attention to detail
- making decisions
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Chemistry
Human Biology
Physics
Skills for Work: Laboratory Science
You'll need a scientific or medical degree combined with specialist training for this career.
There are many different specialisms, each with their own routes in. The guidance in this section gives an overview of two broad training pathways. Explore the Royal College of Pathologists website to learn more about these pathways and training for different specialisms.
Broadly, there are two routes to consider:
becoming a doctor and specialising in pathology
becoming a clinical scientist
Doctor route
Your training would include:
a five-year degree in medicine, recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC)
a two-year foundation course in general medical training
two years of core training (only relevant for some specialisms)
further training in a pathology specialism, which can take around 5 years
Our doctor profile has more information about getting medical qualifications at university and college.
Scientist route
Your training would include:
an undergraduate or postgraduate science qualification
a three-year Scientific Training Programme
further training in a pathology specialism, which can take around five years
University
You'll usually need a degree or master's in a science subject such as:
Biomedical Science
Biology
Microbiology
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Immunology
Search university courses on My World of Work.
College
You could start at college before progressing to a degree course. Consider qualifications such as an HNC or HND in a science subject.
Relevant subjects include:
Applied Science
Biomedical Science
Search college courses on My World of Work.
Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship could also help you get laboratory work experience and move into further study.
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. Relevant MAs include:
Modern Apprenticeship: Life Science and Related Science Industries
Modern Apprenticeship: Life Science and Related Science Industries Technical
Discover MAs on Apprenticeships.scot.
registration with the appropriate professional body for your specialism
to meet occupational health standards set by employers
membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme if your role involves working with patients or vulnerable people
to keep your knowledge and skills up to date through continuing professional development (CPD)
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